1:The Articles of the Confederation

ESSENTIAL QUESTION Why do people form governments?

Vocab● Constitution: a set of principles a state or country will operate under. ● Tyranny: abuse of power● Republic: When the people hold the power to elect their leaders● Federal Government: The main gov’t that oversees all of the states as a

whole. ● Appalachian Mountains: The large mountain chain that runs north to south,

on the east side of the country. ● The Continental Congress: the original governing body of the newly-created

US.

Copy the following into your notebook as NBP #● Revolution over - how would the new country govern itself?● Would they all have common goals? Think of the regional differences that existed during the colonial

era. ● Most states wanted state constitutions that had limited power as to keep tyranny in check● The U.S. would be a REPUBLIC● The first “constitution” (The Articles of the Confederation) was too weak - too much power was given

to individual states, and the federal government could not get anything accomplished. ● How would new states be added once settlers moved west of the Appalachian Mountains?● 1787, The Northwest Ordinance added the territory from lands north of the Ohio River and east of

the Mississippi River. Slavery not allowed there. ● In 1798, the US created the Mississippi Territory from land west of Georgia, slavery was allowed

there.● These were meant to encourage settlers to move there to grow the US.● The Continental Congress was in debt from the war.● Under the AOC, could not tax individual states to balance the budget. ● Spain controlled Florida and the lands west of the Mississippi. With no strong central gov’t, how

could the US deal with the possible threat from Spain?

The Making of a Republic● After gaining independence, Americans faced

the task for forming independent governments at both the state and national levels.

Guiding Question: What kind of government was created by the Articles of Confederation?

● The independent states faced the challenge of governing themselves.

● 13 states needed a plan of government that would satisfy all their needs.

● Would the states be able to work together and still maintain their independence?

● How would each individual state govern itself?

States Write Constitutions● May 1776, Congress asked the

states to organize their governments.

● Each state adopted a state constitution, (plan of government).

● Eight states had drafted constitutions before the end of the year.

● New York and Georgia followed in 1777 - Massachusetts in 1780.

● Connecticut and Rhode Island decided to use their colonial charters as state constitutions.

Limits on Power● The fear of too much gov’t after living under a

monarch was an overarching theme.● They wanted to craft state constitutions that

limited the power of the governor.● Pennsylvania's constitution replaced the office

entirely with an elected 12-person council.● States also divided power between the governor

(or council) and the legislature. ● Most states set up two-house, or bicameral

legislatures to divide the work of government even further.

● The first state constitutions aimed to keep power in the hands of the people.

● For example, voters chose the state legislators, and states held elections often.

Who Could Vote?● In most states, only white males who were

at least 21 years old could vote.● These men also had to own a certain

amount of property or pay a certain amount of taxes.

● Some states allowed free African American males to vote.

● Because state constitutions limited the powers of the governors, the legislatures became the most powerful branch of government.

● The state legislatures tried to make taxes fair for everyone, but disagreements arose.

● The shift from British colonies to self-governing states held many challenges.

A New Republic● Not only state gov’ts, but a national one too.● The new country should be a republic, a

government in which citizens rule through elected representatives.

● Could not agree on what powers the new republic's government should have.

● At first, most Americans wanted a weak central government.

● Expected each state would remain free to act independently on most issues.

● States would rely on a central government only to wage war and handle relations with other countries.

The Articles of the Confederation● In 1776 the Second Continental Congress

appointed a committee to draw up a plan for a new central government.

● The Articles of Confederation. ● November, 1777, Congress adopted the

Articles—the nation's first constitution.● The Articles of Confederation established a

weak central government. ● The states kept most of their power. ● For the states, the Articles of Confederation

were "a firm league of friendship" in which each state retained "its sovereignty, freedom and independence."

● The Articles of Confederation gave the Congress limited powers.

Functions of the Articles of the Confederation● Congress could conduct foreign affairs, maintain

armed forces, borrow money, and issue currency. ● Congress did not have the power to regulate

trade, force citizens to join the army, or impose taxes.

● If Congress needed to raise money or troops, it had to ask the states.

● States were not required to contribute.● New central government had no chief executive

(no one to carry out the laws and lead the government in day-to-day operations.

● Government carried on its business, such as selling western lands, through congressional committees.

● All the states had to approve the Articles and any amendments.

Getting AOC in Place (feather and ink project of some kind?)

● Not every state supported the Articles of Confederation at first.

● Under the new plan, each state had one vote regardless of population.

● States with large populations believed they should have more votes.

● Disputes over land also threatened to block approval of the Articles.

● Some states were claiming lands to the west, no one could agree.

● Maryland wanted those states to give up their claims.

● On March 1, 1781, the Confederation formally became the government of the United States of America.

The Confederation Government● The next several years were critical ones for the young

republic. ● The new national government was too weak to handle the

problems facing the United States. ● The weak Congress could not pass a law unless nine states

voted in favor of it. ● Changing the Articles required the approval of all 13 states. ● This made it hard for Congress to pass laws when there was

any disagreement.● Even with these challenges, the new government managed

some key achievements: ➔ Americans negotiated a peace treaty with Britain and

expanded the country’s foreign trade.

➔ The Confederation also helped with settling and governing the country’s western lands.Specifying How many votes did each state have in the new Congress?

Policies for Western LandsGuiding Question What process allowed new states to join the union?

● The Articles of Confederation did not propose a way to add new states to the United States.

● Yet there were settlers living west of the Appalachian Mountains, outside the existing states.

● These Western settlers wanted to organize their lands as states and join the Union.

● Under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, the British gave up control of the land north of the Ohio River and west of the Appalachian Mountains.

● Many Americans were eager to settle in this region. ● The new United States government had to establish policies

for settlement of these western lands. ● Another challenge was to come up with an orderly process by

which new territories could achieve the status of statehood.

The Ordinance of 1785● 1785, the Confederation Congress passed an

ordinance (or law) that set up a process to survey and sell the lands north of the Ohio River.

● The new law divided this large area into townships 6 miles long and 6 miles wide.

● These townships were to be further divided into 36 sections of 640 acres.

● The government would sell each section at public auction, or sale, for at least a dollar an acre.

● Concerned about lawless people moving into western lands, Richard Henry Lee, the president of the Congress, urged that "the rights of property be clearly defined" by the government.

● Congress drafted another law to protect the interests of hardworking settlers.

The Northwest Ordinance● 1787, The Northwest Ordinance created a single

Northwest● (Territory from lands north of the Ohio River and east of

the Mississippi River.)● The lands were to be divided into three to five smaller

territories. ● When a territory had 60,000 residents, the people could

seek statehood.● Each new state would have the same standing as the

original 13 states.● The Northwest Ordinance’s bill of rights for settlers in

the territory guaranteed freedom of religion and trial by jury.

● It banned slavery in the territory.● The two ordinances tried to make the settlement of the

Northwest Territory peaceful and orderly.

● In general, successful.

Similar Legislation in the South● The United States Congress would

later take a similar step in the South.

● In 1798 it created the Mississippi Territory from land west of Georgia.

● Congress organized the government of the territory in the same basic way as in the Northwest Territory—except that slavery was allowed.

Land Act of 1800● The Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance = to encourage

settlement in the Northwest Territory.● In time it became clear that people needed even more help.● 1800, Congress passed the Land Act. ● Made it easier for people to buy land in the territory. ● E.g., made it possible for people to pay for land a little at a time. ● A person was required to buy at least 320 acres of land at a price of $2 per

acre. ● The buyer could pay half of the money at the time of purchase and the rest in

four yearly payments.

Explaining What did the Northwest Ordinance say about slavery?

Problems at Home and AbroadGuiding Question: In what ways was the Confederation government weak?

● Because of its weakness, the Confederation government had trouble with financial issues.

● Continentals, paper bills the Continental Congress printed during the war, did not hold their value, by 1781, worth almost nothing.

● The public began to doubt the money was worth anything. ● 1779, it took 40 continentals to buy a single Spanish silver

dollar.● By 1781, a person needed 146 continentals to buy that

Spanish coin!● "Not worth a continental” became a common saying. ● At the same time, the price of food and other goods soared. ● In Boston and some other areas, high prices led to food riots.

Paying Debt….or Not.● In the 1780s, the Continental

Congress faced a large debt. ● Congress had borrowed money

from American citizens and foreign governments during the war.

● It still owed soldiers pay..● Without the power to tax, the

Confederation could not easily raise money to pay its debts.

● The Continental Congress asked the states for money, but it could not force the states to pay.

● In fact, the states provided less than half of the money the federal government asked them to contribute.

Plan for Import Tax● Congress faced a collapse of the

country's finances. ● 1781, it created a department of

finance led by Philadelphia merchant Robert Morris.

● Morris had proposed a 5 percent tax on imported goods to help pay the national debt.

● The plan required a change to the Articles of Confederation.

● Twelve states approved the plan, but Rhode Island opposed it.

● The single "no” vote was enough to block the plan.

● A second effort in 1783 also failed to win approval by all the states.

● The financial crisis grew worse.

Relations with Britain● Trouble with foreign governments revealed the

weaknesses of the American government. ● E.g., American merchants complained that the British

were blocking Americans from the West Indies and other British markets.

● Treaty of Paris of 1783, Britain had promised to withdraw from the lands east of the Mississippi River.

● British troops still continued to occupy several forts in the Great Lakes region.

● 1785, Congress sent John Adams to London to discuss these problems.

● The British were unwilling to talk. ● Pointed to the failure of the United States to honor its

promises made in the Treaty of Paris. ● The British claimed that Americans had agreed to pay

Loyalists for the property taken from them during the Revolutionary War.

● Congress had proposed that the states pay the Loyalists.● 9 The states simply refused, and Congress could do

nothing about it.

Relations with Spain● The US had even greater problems with Spain. ● It controlled Florida as well as lands west of the Mississippi River -

wanted to stop American expansion into its territory. ● Spain closed the lower Mississippi River to American shipping in

1784. ● Western settlers could no longer use the Mississippi River, which

they relied on to ship goods to market.● 1786, American diplomats = a new trade agreement with Spain.● Representatives from the Southern states blocked the agreement -

it did not include the right to use the Mississippi River.● The weakness of the Confederation and its inability to deal with

problems worried many leaders, including George Washington. ● Americans began to agree that the country needed a stronger

government.

Analyzing Why did Spain close the lower Mississippi River to American shipping in 1784?